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August 2006
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Section: Feature
A History of America's Fair
By Gail Nicholson
Gail Nicholson: How long have you been with America’s Fair?
Lou Ann Delaney: Since 1992 when I was asked to start an in-house marketing, PR and sponsorship agency.
GN: Please sketch a brief history of the fair for us.
An Interview with Lou Ann Delaney, co-author of Reflections of America’s County Fair, 1841-2000. and Marketing Director for America’s Fair.
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LD: The first fair was held on Main Street near the terrace in Buffalo that overlooked the waterfront in 1820, which now is the site of the Donovan building. The first entry was a merino ram. He came from a farm in Hamburg (spelled Hamburgh until 1877) and made quite an impression. The owner of the ram was Dr. Cyrenius Chapin, the society’s first president who also was the first physician to come to Western New York. There wasn’t a road system yet and people traveled by horse and buggy. The second fair was held in the fall of 1821 under the auspices of the Erie County Agricultural Society. The state of the economy and the difficulty of transporting livestock over nearly impassable roads caused a declining interest among area farmers and a foundering society. In 1841, the interest in the Erie County Agricultural Society was revived. It was reorganized for the promotion of the educational, horticultural, mechanical and manufacturing interests of Erie County. Another fair was held in October 1841 in Buffalo. It was the start of continuous fairs until 1943, a year it was skipped because of World War II. The fair continued being held in Buffalo until 1850. After that the fair shuttled between Aurora, Lancaster, East Hamburg (Orchard Park) and Buffalo’s Cold Springs neighborhood.
SPCA booth at the fair in 1904.
Photographs courtesy of
The Erie County Agriculture Society.
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In 1856 the fair moved to a leased site on Indian Church Road in West Seneca for nine years. In 1868, after holding fairs in Springville and the Cold Springs neighborhood, the agricultural society moved to it’s present home in Hamburg. The grounds contained a racetrack operated by the Hamburgh Road Driver Association. The land was purchased in 1882 (then 12 acres), additional land was acquired for today’s total of 265 acres.
GN: The Corey Greater Carnival Shows’ 1923 letterhead describes their fair rentals as “up-to-the-minute outdoor amusements, clean, moral and refined, coming your way soon. Shows—Sensational Acts—Riding Devices. Describe the particular blend of offerings that describes today’s America’s Fair?
LD: It is the people, the fun midway rides and the variety of food blended with the creative arts, agriculture/grange and historical buildings, 4-H and the Future Farmers of America (FFA) activities, animal and horse shows and the history of these gatherings that makes us America’s Fair.
GN: Who was behind the book Reflections of America’s County Fair, 1841-2000?
Kids with chicks in 1954.
Photographs courtesy of
The Erie County Agriculture Society.
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LD: Ruth Willett, who was head of the History and Government Dept. at the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library had a real interest in the fair and initiated talks with fair manager, Paul Laing in the mid-80s to do the book. She suggested hiring former Buffalo News reporter Ellen Taussig to write the 150-year history of the society (1841-1989). It sat idle for several years until I approached current fair manager, Dennis Lang with the idea of publishing the transcript. In 2000 the board gave us the go ahead. I met Ms. Willett the year we unveiled the book, Reflections of America’s County Fair, 1841-2000, on opening day of the fair in 2001.
GN: What sources were found for all the wonderful photographs and graphics in the book?
LD: Our own archives, collections from residents of WNY, and archives of the Hamburg and Orchard Park historical societies. We put out a call to these sources and received a great response. It is my hope to have a Hamburgh Fair/Erie County Fair/America’s Fair museum on the grounds someday for visitors to learn about our legacy.
GN: Planning each fair must be fun.
Ferdinand, prize-winning
Ayreshire bull, ca. 1930s.
Photographs courtesy of
The Erie County Agriculture Society.
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LD: Most people don’t think that working for the fair would be a year-round position. Our marketing department has five full-time staff members and we start planning the next year’s fair the week after each fair ends. Coming up with each theme, promotions and activities along with working with the entertainers can be both fun and challenging. I can be in a large board room meeting with a sponsor developing a marketing strategy or discussing arranging a public appearance with a popular NASCAR driver. Next can be discussions of receiving a shipment of thousands of crickets for the frogs in the frog jumping contest or the arrival of the racing pigs. Some of the topics we cover in our management meetings are priceless. I’m in the business of making fun. How bad can that be?
GN: How do you plan the midway?
LD: The Strates Shows, located in Orlando, Florida, has been our choice of midways for more than 80 years. We have worked with three generations of the Strates family and we are proud of our combined safety record and variety for our guests.
GN: Do you visit other county fairs?
Guess Your Age or Weight.
Photo by Merrill Mathews, 1970.
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LD: Our management staff travels to as many fairs as possible in the course of a year. Not only county fairs but state fairs as well as some in Canada. We are active members in the IAFE (International Association of Fairs and Expos) and meet a few times a year to address issues and ideas. Dennis Lang, our fair manager was the president of the NYS Fairs in 2005, a division of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions (IAFE).
GN: Where can people purchase the book, Reflections of America’s County Fair, 1841-2000?
LD: When you visit the fair, you can get your 56-page, hard copy at our gift shop on 42nd Street for $9.95 or call us at 649-3900, ext. 404.
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